From Atheist to Pais Apprentice

My Journey of Faith; the start.

Pais has been present in the whole of my Christian life. As a young atheist I had been invited by a friend to attend a church youth group which happened to be led by a couple who themselves had both been Pais apprentices.

Through this youth group I discovered there was a God who loved me and I made a decision to follow Jesus. As I continued in my faith I attended a church that had Pais apprentices and they helped me very much to grow spiritually in my early stages of faith.

Very soon the Pais team established a Christian Union in my high school and I started to see that my beliefs weren’t just for me but that the Good news of Jesus was for me to share with my peers. The Pais team encouraged me to lead some of the sessions and they really helped me to see that I could make a difference amongst my friends.

Leader of my school’s C.U.

At the age of 17 I became the main leader and organiser of the CU and it was at this time I also had the opportunity to be a part of Pais’ M4 program. This monthly program was the basis for me to learn the value of service and serving others. It really opened my eyes to see that I wasn’t just yet another teenager but I was somebody with gifts and I had something to give back to my community and the world!

In various M4 meetings the Pais apprentices helped me to overcome my fears of speaking to others about my faith and showed me what true service is. We shared God’s love in my community by giving out sweets and running a fun day for the children. This helped me to see that ‘service’ wasn’t just boring, manual labour but instead it is an exciting way to help the people around us.

Now serving the people of Ghana

I am 19 now and have the great privilege to serve the people of Ghana as I am currently on Pais: Ghana. I have always had a love for singing but never imagined I could bless people with it. However, God has really helped me use my gift by enabling me to be a part of the Pais worship band which was established this year in Ghana. Being able to sing in various churches and events and seeing people being led to worship God has helped me see that gifts aren’t for our own personal benefit but are a way to help others to know God and advance His Kingdom.

The passion to serve that I learnt in the UK has led me to join Pais in Ghana. I wanted to use my talents to bless young people in Africa and if I hadn’t been encouraged and empowered through M4 I don’t think I would ever have believed in myself enough to make that step.